Legendary American band Journey is planning to release a new album early next year, revealed Filipino frontman Arnel Pineda.
"We might release it first quarter of 2011," Arnel proudly told PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) last night, June 10, at the launching of PLDT SME Nation's "Bossing Ako" campaign staged at the NBC Tent in Taguig City.
Arnel and Rico Blanco were commissioned by the telecommunications giant firm to record the campaign theme song titled "Para Sa Mga Bossing."
The upcoming disc, which will be Arnel's second for Journey since assuming lead-singer role in late 2007, is a concept album.
By definition, a concept album is a record composed of songs under one unified theme instead of the common practice of gathering materials with varying subjects and collating it to form a single project.
Some of the most popular concept albums ever produced include Pet Sounds of The Beach Boys, The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon.
Filipino pop-rock band Eraserheads pulled off the same trick in 1996 with their Christmas album aptly titled Fruitcake.
"We actually had a hard time during the first two weeks of our recording session because we were trying to find out which song fits the album. Pero by the fourth week, we were able to put them together," confided Arnel.
MANILA ENGAGEMENT. Arnel said he was advised by Journey's management team to momentarily "work under the radar" in preparation for the release of the album.
"There's a lot of big things that's going to happen next year. So I was told that I need to stay low for a while so that the momentum of what we're going to do next year would be well received talaga," the 42-year-old singer explained.
Arnel will also need all the rest at this point as the band intends to embark on a grueling world tour to promote the album.
"You can never be adjusted talaga because every time, there's always something new. It's very unpredictable talaga and you'll never know kung kailan ka mapapagod," said Arnel about the demands of playing continuously on the road for several months.
There is a big possibility that the band will include Manila on its itinerary this time.
"We are talking about it," smiled Arnel. "I think kasama ang Philippines, Japan, and we're also considering Hong Kong and Singapore for our Asia stop."
But Arnel is not the only Filipino artist making waves abroad. The past couple of years witnessed a handful of local talents gaining international recognition not just in music but in other fields as well.
"Actually, long overdue na tayo and even back in the '70s ang dami-dami na nating great talents. Hindi lang tayo nabibigyan ng right opportunity same as what the American talents are enjoying from the very beginning," emphasized Arnel.